General Interest

According to psychologists and counsellors there are five stages of grief. Denial, anger,  bargaining, depression and acceptance. Since the evening of Saturday 3rd May 2025,  and much to the managing director’s annoyance, I have been experiencing the  emotional roller coaster that grief provides. I have discovered that denial is not actually  the first emotional hurdle when a confronting event impacts one’s life. No, shock comes  first. Then you skip denial and move straight to anger. Not anger with the punters and  the winners. No, anger that the conservative side of politics managed to drop the ball  so spectacularly that a bunch of political hacks haveRead More →

It will come as a surprise to no one that the managing director and I have been indulging in a bit of travel lately.  It’s all tax-deductible research of course, culminating in our annual senior broker conference in Wanaka NZ.  Joined by Cameron and Paul and their respective MD’s, we were appalled to discover that our conference had been booked in a place of great natural beauty, accompanied by lovely dining options and nearby ski fields!  On the 15th anniversary of MPF serious matters needed to be discussed so we would have preferred a more subdued and reserved venue like, say…… Adelaide. No disrespect toRead More →

Concrete cancer is a term that strikes fear into the hearts of property owners and building managers, and for good reason. As a contractor specialising in the repair of this common problem, I’ve seen firsthand the damage it can cause. Left untreated, concrete cancer can lead to costly repairs, structural damage, and even safety risks. as was highlighted recently with the 2021 partial collapse of Champlain Towers South in Florida USA which resulted in the death of 64 people In this article, I’ll provide an overview of what concrete cancer is, how it develops, and the importance of addressing it early. What is Concrete Cancer?Read More →

I’m sure we can all think of a product where the designers clearly forgot (or ignored) the primary needs of the user. The focus on form (the look and feel of the thing) has completely eclipsed the function (the usability of it). In my ruminations on this matter I am indebted to proto-modernist architect Louis Sullivan, who stated in 1896 that “form ever follows function”. In other words, for any given design it’s got to actually work, and then let’s worry about how it looks. And so it is in some sectors of the accommodation industry. The hotel design trend these days seems to favourRead More →

“I am not evading tax in any way, shape or form. Now, of course I am minimising my tax and if anybody in this country doesn’t minimise their tax, they want their heads read because as a government, I can tell you, you’re not spending it that well that we should be donating extra”. Kerry Packer November 1991, in answer to questions during a parliamentary enquiry And so, as end of financial year rolls around once more the immortal words of Kerry Francis Bullmore Packer ring truer than ever. One might even suggest that actual evasion should be encouraged such is the level of wasteRead More →